STEP 1

Complete the on-line questionnaire and return to AJA Registrars or
request an information pack from your local office, which will include
the questionnaire for the required service. Complete this questionnaire
and return to AJA Registrars who will review the information provided
and prepare and issue a Proposal of Cost (Quotation) for a three-year
Cycle.

Please Note that all accredited audits are conducted in two stages
and that in some cases both of these audits will need to be conducted at
your premises

STEP 2

On acceptance of the quotation, submit the signed and dated
Application (which is the final page of the Proposal of Costs) to
confirm your intent to utilise the services of AJA Registrars. A
confirmation of receipt and invoice for the first year’s fees will be
posted to you by return.

STEP 3

On receipt of a signed Application, a Lead Auditor will be allocated
to conduct your audits. He/she will contact you to agree a provisional
schedule for the visits, explain the registration process and answer any
questions you may have.

STEP 4

Once your company’s Procedures and Manuals and other system
documentation are complete, these will be reviewed against the
requirements of the relevant standard. It may be necessary to carry out
this review on-site supported by a limited audit to validate the
effectiveness of the documentation prior to the registration audit. This
is referred to as a Stage 1 Audit. Most potential problems can be
identified during the Stage 1 Audit and these can be eliminated by you
prior to the formal registration/compliance audit. You will be presented
with a formal report of the findings from this audit.

STEP 5

On completion of the Stage 1 audit the Lead Auditor will discuss and
mutually confirm the registration audit date. This will take account of
any time needed to make any adjustments to the documented system
resulting from any deficiencies identified during the document review.

STEP 6

The main registration audit will commence with an opening meeting.
During this meeting the methodology and conduct of the audit will be
explained. The itinerary will also be confirmed and an opportunity given
for any questions you may have regarding the audit. Who attends the
opening meeting is a matter for the client but it is recommended as a
minimum the key management personnel responsible for the implementation
of the system are in attendance.

STEP 7

The registration audit will consist of sampling of objective evidence
(records) observation of working processes and discussion with
personnel at all levels of your company’s organisation. For audits over
several days a brief outline of the progress of the audit will be given
at the close of each day.

STEP 8

Should the Lead Auditor decide at any time during the audit that
there is a complete breakdown of the system against the requirements of
the standard, a meeting will be called with senior management to advise
you of the Team’s findings and agree with you a course of action. It is
worth noting however that this is a rare occurrence.

STEP 9

On completion of the main registration audit (Stage 2), a closing
meeting will be convened to provide an overview of the audit and detail
the audit findings and recommendations. Any deficiencies identified
which affect your compliance with the standard or can impair your
ability to provide your customers with a quality product/service will be
documented within a Corrective Action Request (CAR). Where these
deficiencies are minor in nature, the CAR will be designated as a minor.
Where major deficiencies are noted then the CARs will be designated as
major. In both cases a written indication of the action to be taken to
address the deficiency before the certificate can be issued must be
provided to AJA Registrars. In the case of Major CARs you will be
required to submit documented evidence that action has been taken to
address the problem and in certain circumstances a return visit may be
required to visually check that corrective measures have been
implemented. In addition, at this meeting you will be advised of the
surveillance routine operated by AJA Registrars.

STEP 10

It is general policy of AJA Registrars to produce a written report on
site at the time of the main registration audit (where this not
possible, a written report shall be prepared within 10 working days of
the registration audit). This report will be submitted to AJA Registrars
for review by the appropriate Certification Manager on behalf of the
Independent Governing Council of AJA Registrars, whose role it is to
ensure that AJA Registrars are impartial and fair in its dealings with
its customers. The Governing Council reviews reports retrospectively.

CERTIFICATE ISSUE

Once the report has been successfully reviewed a Registration
Certificate and Registration Schedule will be issued, usually within 15
working days of completion of the audit.

SURVEILLANCE

Quotations will be provided on the basis of a 12 monthly or 6 monthly
surveillance visit routine following the main registration audit. The
12 monthly routine is preferred by most of AJA Registrar clients.
However the option exists for 6 monthly surveillance routines (for those
who prefer more frequent visit programmes) and a quotation can be
provided accordingly upon request. Should clients fail to effectively
maintain their management system on a 12 monthly visit programme or
during the main registration audit it is evident that there were
sufficient concerns to indicate that more regular visits would be more
appropriate, then AJA Registrars would retain the right to impose 6
monthly surveillance visits until confidence is restored.

MECHANISM OF APPEAL and COMPLAINTS HANDLING

Mechanism Appeals and Complaints Handling can be seen in the Code of Practice

CODE OF PRACTICE

Additional rules and conditions are contained in AJA’s Code of
Practice (CoP). The current Code of Practice will be issued along with
your Proposal/Application. It is important that you read this carefully.

AJA Registrar’s Codes of Practice can be viewed on line by clicking on the link here

IMPARTIALITY

AJA Registrar’s Impartiality Policy
Statement can be viewed on line by clicking on the link here